On Tuesday, the La Paz County Solar Energy and Job Creation Act was introduced by U.S. Congressman Paul A. Gosar, Senator Martha McSally, and La Paz County Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Holly Irwin. This legislation is similar to a bill previously presented by Gosar, the La Paz County Land Conveyance Act of 2019. Trump signed that act on March 12, 2019. The law allows La Paz County to purchase land held by the Bureau of Land Management, up to 6,000 acres. This land has been sought after for solar power development for years. The county is required to pay fair market value for the land. This new act would convey 4,800 acres of land to La Paz County for fair market value. The legislation would comply with all environmental laws and requires the full involvement of the Colorado River Indian Tribes (CRIT) during the development.
“In a county like La Paz with such a massive federal footprint, sometimes it takes a literal act of Congress to open up opportunities for economic development,” said McSally.
U.S. Congressman Gosar commented, “The La Paz County Land Conveyance Act of 2019, which was signed onto law last year, has already been a great success for La Paz County. The La Paz Solar Development and Job Creation Act will build on that success and ensure that Arizonans will have affordable energy and more job opportunities. This bipartisan bill empowers local government to make land management decisions that better their own communities, something I want to see more of.”
“This important legislation continues La Paz County’s strategy to promote economic vitality and provide jobs for our residents through sustainable solar power renewable energy development. La Paz County is home to the world’s best solar resources. This area is immediately adjacent to the Ten West transmission line linking these renewable resources directly to Phoenix and southern California. This bill builds on prior phase 1 legislation enacted in 2019, which has enabled La Paz County to announce development of the largest planned PV solar project in the United States. As with phase 1, this land will be sold to the County for fair market value with the full involvement of the CRIT Tribe, other community stakeholders, and in compliance with all environmental laws,” said Supervisor Irwin.
The text of the bill can be seen HERE.
A summary of the bill can be seen HERE.
